The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lucky Imasuen

  • Lagos APC primaries: Tinubu, Adeola win, Ashafa loses

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Electoral Committee of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries in Lagos on Saturday officially released the results of the elections.

    The primaries, including a repeat of the senatorial primary election, were held on Friday.

    The senatorial primaries initially held on Thursday, but were cancelled and rescheduled owing to logistic issues.

    Announcing the results in Ikeja, Chairman of the committee, Mr Lucky Imasuen, said the primaries were contested for the three senatorial seats, 24 House of Representatives and 40 state House of Assembly seats .

    For the results of the senatorial primaries, Imasuen said Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, who was unopposed, polled 89,494 votes to emerge as candidate for Lagos Central.

    For Lagos West, the committee chairman said the incumbent, Sen. Olamilekan Solomon emerged winner with 378,906 votes, as against the 1,179 votes scored by Mr Kayode Opeifa and Mrs. Areago Olopade’s 1,275 votes.

    Read Also : Boroffice emerges APC candidate for Ondo North Senatorial District

    Imasuen, a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, added that a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr . Bayo Osinowo defeated the incumbent Sen. Gbenga Ashafa with 247,743 votes to emerge candidate for the Lagos East Senatorial district.

    He disclosed that Ashafa, the incumbent, polled 20,385 in the primary.

    Imasuen said the details of the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primaries results were ready and that they would be released later.

    He described the exercise as peaceful and successful.

    “The primaries were peaceful and successful.

    “We thank the state chapter led by Tunde Balogun for the support for the committee.

    “We also thank all other stakeholders including all members of our party in the state for making the conduct a success,” he said.

    NAN

  • Ex-deputy Governor, Ize-Iyamu spends first night in prison

    A former Deputy Governor of Edo state, Mr, Lucky Imasuen and a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu spent their first night in prison custody after they allegedly failed to meet the bail conditions granted them by a Federal High Court.

    Others arraigned alongside Imasuen that also spent Thursday night in prison were State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, a former member of the House of Representatives, Tony Azegbemi and Efe Anthony.

    They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on eight count charges of laundering the sum of N700 million.

    The money was believed to be part of the $115m Allison Diezani pilfered from the treasury to fund the 2015 general elections.

    They were granted bail of N10 million each, with sureties in like sum who must be in grade level 16 and above and must be house owners, with Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) that should be deposited with the court’s deputy registrar.

    Justice P.I Adjokwu remanded in custody pending when they meet their applications for bail despite plea by counsel to Ize-Iyamu, Mr Charles Edosomwan, that they be kept in the custody of the EFCC.

    However, a statement by the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, explained that only one of the five could not meet his bail conditions.

    Nehikhare said the other four decided to spend the night in prison in solidarity.

    “They are all in high spirit and expected to perfect their bail condition today”.

  • Breaking: Court remands Ize-Iyamu, Orbih, others

    A Federal High Court sitting in Benin City has remanded Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Dan Orbih, a former Deputy Governor, Mr, Lucky Imasuen, a former member of the House of Representatives, Tony Azegbemi and Efe Anthony to prison custody.

    They are to remain in prison pending when they meet their bail applications.

    Read Also:EFCC may re-arrest Pastor Ize-Iyamu

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu and others were arraigned on Thursday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on eight count charges of laundering the sum of N700m.

    Justice P.I Adjokwu remanded them to prison custody after rejecting a plea by Counsel to Ize-Iyamu, Charles Edosomwan that they be kept in the custody of the EFCC.

     

    Details later….

  • EFCC may re-arrest Pastor Ize-Iyamu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it may re-arrest Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu since he was not in court to be arraigned along others over alleged money laundering charges.

    It said it would get in touch with Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s surety on the administrative bail and make effort to re-arrest him.

    Counsel to the EFCC, L.P Aso spoke on Wednesday in Benin City where Pastor Ize-Iyamu and four others were to be arraigned before a Federal High Court for allegedly laundering the sum of N700m.

    Others to be arraigned were former Deputy Governor, Mr, Lucky Imasuen,  former member of the House of Representatives, Tony Azegbemi and Efe Anthony.

    Former Chairman, Board of Trustee of the PDP, Chief Tony was listed in the charges but was said to be at large.

    The absence of Pastor Ize-Iyamu and Chief Orbih stalled the arraignment as the EFCC Counsel told the court that it was the duty of the Commission to produce the accused persons and not for the accused persons to bring themselves to court.

    Aso informed the court that all the accused persons have filed application for bail and asked for the court to adjourn to enable the EFCC produce all the defendants in court.

    In the charges preferred against Pastor Ize-Iyamu and others, the EFCC accused them of taking possession and control of the sum of N700m without any contract award which they ought to know the money from part of an unlawful act.

    They were alleged to have make cash payment of N60,650,000 to one Henry Tenebe of Estako West local government and N61,647,000 to one Momoh Andrew Ojo of Akoko-Edo without going through a financial institution.

    In count five, six and seven, they were alleged to have make cash payment of N83,473,000, N125,993,000 and N105,000,000 to Deacon Ezekiel Egharevba, Thomas Aroko and Scott Osagiede respectively without going through a financial institution.

    Counsel to Pastor Ize-Iyamu and Chief Orbih, Ikide Chiehelua and Chief Ferdinand Orbih told the court their clients travelled outside the country.

    They promised that their clients were prepared to face trials and would be back by Tuesday next week.

    Chief Orbih said, “I have his instruction that he will be back to answer to the charges. He is ready and willing to defend himself. His absence is not bourne out of disrespect of the court. He was not served about the arraignment. He lone heard about it and he instructed me to appear for him.”

    It would be recalled that the EFCC had first quizzed them in 2016 for collecting N700m out the $115m Allison Maduekwe bribe money.

    Imasuen had told newsmen then that he was only invited to a branch of Fidelity Bank to witness collection of the money and that the money was taken to the House of a PDP leader where it was shared.

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu explained that he did not touch a kobo out of the money and that he gave the EFCC list of those that signed as the money was being shared.

    Read Also: EFCC arrests 12 ‘fraudsters’ in Lagos

    Chief Orbih said told newsmen then that he told EFCC interrogators that there was no way he could have questioned the source of the money or know whether the money was stolen.

    He said the N700m was judiciously expended to the satisfaction of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    According to him, “It is a standard practice all over the world for political parties to raise money for election.”

    “The money we received was sent to us from Abuja and we believe it was was from the money realized from the fund raising dinner.”

    “Edo State PDP was not in a position to know where the came from.”

    The case was adjourned to June 11, 2018 for arraignment.